This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, offers analysis, commentary, and reportage about the $4.9 billion project to build the Barclays Center arena and 16 high-rise buildings at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland Group bought a 70% stake in 15 towers. New York State still calls it Atlantic Yards. Contact: AtlanticYardsReport[at]hotmail.com

A year ago, New York Islanders tickets saw a solid $120 average on the season, while the new campaign is now yielding a considerably higher $175 average. The spike is never more evident than when fans look at New York’s upcoming home opener. In 2014, their home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes was just $137 on average, with a get-in price of $60, but this year’s Barclays Center debut is all the way up to $466.67 on average, while the cheap seats start at $165 on Ticketmaster.

As the Wall Street Journal previously reported, the average ticket price will be $85--that's $35 (or 70%) more than at the Nassau Coliseum, about the league average, according to arena CEO Brett Yormark. The rise to $175 is actually a 46% increase.

Part of the increase may be the unusual numbers in the opening game against the league champion Chicago Blackhawks. Lawrence noted that more than 8,000 season ticket plans--more than half the building--have been sold.'

The 46% rise is still less than the jump for the Nets. Upon the team's' move to Brooklyn in 2012, as I wrote, there was a stunning 50.8% increase in ticket price.

What if things change?

Brian Erni on Islanders Point Blank noted that it was inevitable that prices would go up, but expressed dismay at the dynamic pricing, which shows tickets at vastly different prices for different opponents. (The counter argument is that scalpers would then make the market.)

He warned:

The Islanders have a good case study in the Nets of what happens when a team goes from a hot ticket to an ice cold commodity in an instant. I’m not saying it will happen to the Isles, but they should probably resist the temptation to price some fans out of the building, especially while everyone is getting acclimated to traveling to Brooklyn.

Indeed, as I wrote in March, Brooklyn Nets season ticket prices for their upcoming fourth season, 2015-16, have gone down in several places.

The Nets lowered the cost for the cheapest season tickets in several sections to $25 per game from $45. Remember, those seats were $15 in the first year and $25 in the second year before the aggressive boost to $45. Now the top price in the cheap sections is $45, down from $70.

And the dynamic pricing has also gone in the downward direction, with some midweek games against weak teams costing $10 or $8, as I wrote two seasons ago.